JOURNAL 



OF 



THE ASIATIC SOCIETY 



No. 95.— NOVEMBER, 1839. 



Art. I. — Memoir on the Climate, Soil, Produce, and Husbandry of 

 Afghanistan and the neighbouring Countries, — By Lieut. Irwin* 1 





PART II— OF SOIL. 



90. It may appear an easy task to learn the nature of the soil 

 in the various districts, or at least the more ostensible properties, such 

 as colour and consistency, but in practice many disappointments will 

 be experienced. Informants are apt to impose upon the inquirer their 

 own petty experience, for the general truth of things ; on few subjects 

 is local vanity found so strong a vitiating testimony. Moreover, let the 

 testimony be ever so candid, the circumstances of the case present 

 some other difficulties. It is well known that within short distances 

 the nature of the soil is often found to vary in all degrees. Evidence 

 as to a small part of the district is here but little conclusive with 

 respect to the whole, and it requires a large induction of particu- 

 lars (which may not always be procurable) to establish an accurate 

 generalization ; and the terms used are often vague and of difficult 

 interpretation. However strange, it is yet true, that the ideas of the 

 Asiatics on colour are very different from ours, and their arrangement 

 and nomenclature are calculated to mislead an inexperienced inquirer. 

 From all these causes the following observations must-he received, as 

 they are offered, with distrust. 



1 Continued from p. 804 



5t 



